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I don’t know if it’s the relentless cold weather or what but I’ve not been feeling 100%. I really crave my time outside, preferably in the warm sun and that’s just not happening at the moment. The colder weather has also left me craving some heavier, starchier foods and felt like I was getting a little “puffy” and needed a little something to set me right again.

I decided to make a variation of my favorite Ginger Turmeric Detox Tea. The ingredients pack a powerful punch and act as an anti-inflammatory, anti-infective, antioxidant, lymph system cleanser and more! In this variation I’ve omitted the cayenne and substituted goji berries instead. The goji berries turn it the most vibrant color of orange and also make it taste DIVINE! You could keep the cayenne if you want, but I prefer this recipe without it. This detox tea works like a charm every time to get my body back on track and feeling great! It’s wonderful for water weight and puffiness that comes from overindulging too!

I’ve already talked about how amazing Lemon Water is on it’s own but just look at the added benefits you get when adding ginger, turmeric, and goji berries!

Ginger:

Ovarian Cancer Treatment: Ginger may be powerful weapon in the treatment of ovarian cancer. A study conducted at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center found that ginger powder induces cell death in all ovarian cancer cells to which it was applied.

Colon Cancer Prevention: A study at the University of Minnesota found that ginger may slow the growth of colorectal cancer cells.

Morning Sickness: A review of several studies has concluded that ginger is just as effective as vitamin B6 in the treatment of morning sickness.

Motion Sickness Remedy: Ginger has been shown to be an effective remedy for the nausea associated with motion sickness.

Reduces Pain and Inflammation: One study showed that ginger has anti-inflammatory properties and is a powerful natural painkiller.

Heartburn Relief: Ginger has long been used as a natural heartburn remedy. It is most often taken in the form of tea for this purpose.

Cold and Flu Prevention and Treatment: Ginger has long been used as a natural treatment for colds and the flu. Many people also find ginger to be helpful in the case of stomach flus or food poisoning, which is not surprising given the positive effects ginger has upon the digestive tract.

Migraine Relief: Research has shown that ginger may provide migraine relief due to its ability to stop prostaglandins from causing pain and inflammation in blood vessels.

Menstrual Cramp Relief: In Chinese medicine, ginger tea with brown sugar is used in the treatment of menstrual cramps. (source)

Turmeric:

It is a natural antiseptic and antibacterial agent.

When combined with cauliflower, it has shown to prevent prostate cancer and stop the growth of existing prostate cancer.

May prevent and slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease by removing amyloyd plaque buildup in the brain.

May prevent metastases from occurring in many different forms of cancer.

It is a potent natural anti-inflammatory that works as well as many anti-inflammatory drugs but without the side effects.

Has shown promise in slowing the progression of multiple sclerosis in mice.

Is a natural painkiller and cox-2 inhibitor.

May aid in fat metabolism and help in weight management.

Has long been used in Chinese medicine as a treatment for depression.

Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, it is a natural treatment for arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Has been shown to stop the growth of new blood vessels in tumors.

Speeds up wound healing and assists in remodeling of damaged skin.

May help in the treatment of psoriasis and other inflammatory skin conditions. (source)

Goji Berries:

Cancer Prevention: One of the best benefits of brightly colored berries, like goji berries, is that they contain high levels of antioxidants which are extremely effective in fighting cancer. When you eat goji berries, the antioxidants seek out and remove cancer causing free radicals in the blood.

Heart Disease and Cholesterol: Another benefit that the antioxidants they provide is that they lower bad cholesterol levels and protect the heart from disease. Goji berries also contain fiber and higher fiber consumption has been linked with a lower risk of high cholesterol and heart attack.

Anti-Aging: Slowing the aging process can be achieved by eating certain types of foods and the antioxidants contained within goji berries have been linked with wrinkle reduction and slower aging. Also, longevity may be increased because of the disease and illness prevention that naturally occurs when antioxidants are consumed.

Eye Health: Goji berries contain vitamin A, zeaxanthin, and beta-carotene, all of which have been associated with healthier eyes. These compounds protect your eyesight, and they also prevent certain eye conditions such as macular degeneration.

Better Sleep: Regular consumption of goji berries can help to improve sleep. If you are suffering from insomnia, try eating goji berries on a daily basis and your sleep patterns will likely improve.

Stress Relief: Research has found that goji berries may relieve stress and promote a sense of calm, happiness, and well-being by reducing the amount of cortisol released in the body during periods of stress. (source)

In a large blender add about a quart (32 ounces) of water and your goji berries. Let sit for several hours until the goji berries are plump and hydrated. I usually do this the night before. Just fill the blender with water and add the goji berries. I’ll let it sit on the counter or in the fridge overnight. The exact amount of water is not important. Just that the goji berries have time to absorb the water and become soft. Then blend the mixture well and then pour through a nut milk bag or a paint straining bag into a large 80 ounce pitcher. You can get 1 gallon paint straining bags, 2 for $2 at your local Lowe’s or Home Depot. Squeeze the remaining liquid through the bag and voilà, you are left with gorgeous goji juice!! Alternately, you could use a mesh strainer but I’ve found the nut milk/paint straining bags to be much more effective. My directions make it sound a lot more complicated than it is, but believe me, it takes just minutes!

Then, in a juicer, juice your ginger root, turmeric, and lemons. I recommend using Breville brand juicers. I love Breville because they are easy to use, easy to clean, and great quality!

In your large pitcher add the ginger+turmeric+lemon juice, goji juice, and enough water to fill. Then add stevia to taste. Mix well with a wooden spoon and adjust flavors as needed. Let sit for about 10 mins before serving to let the flavors blend. Will last about 5 days in the fridge.

**If you are using powder ingredients only, you’ll want to prepare the herbs as you would loose leaf tea. Boil hot water and add to the powders and let sit until room temp. Then add your lemon, goji juice, and stevia to taste.

You can enjoy your Goji Detox Tea at room temperature or over ice. This tea is sweet, tangy and slightly spicy! It always helps me “get back to normal” after travelling or going off my diet. I tend to get puffy and retain water and this tea helps flush out my lymphatic system and reduce swelling. I absolutely love it and I hope you do too!

If you can’t find fresh turmeric root or ginger root at your local health food store or Asian Market, you can purchase them in powder form through iherb.com – use my discount code WAG472 to get $5 OFF your first order + free shipping on orders of $20 or more!!

Goji Detox Tea

Author: Linda Wagner

Prep time: 10 mins

Total time: 10 mins

This detox tea works like a charm every time to get my body back on track and feeling great! It’s wonderful for water weight and puffiness that comes from overindulging too!

Ingredients

3 inch knob of ginger (or substitute 3 Tbs ginger powder)

3 inch piece of turmeric root (or substitute 3 Tbs turmeric powder)

1/2 cup goji berries (or substitute 3 Tbs goji powder)

6 small lemons

2 tsps stevia powder

80 ounces purified water

Instructions

In a large blender add about a quart (32 ounces) of water and your goji berries. Let sit for several hours until the goji berries are plump and hydrated. I usually do this the night before. Just fill the blender with water and add the goji berries. I’ll let it sit on the counter or in the fridge overnight. The exact amount of water is not important. Just that the goji berries have time to absorb the water and become soft. Then blend the mixture well and then pour through a nut milk bag or a paint straining bag into a large 80 ounce pitcher. You can get 1 gallon paint straining bags, 2 for $2 at your local Lowe’s or Home Depot. Squeeze the remaining liquid through the bag and voilà, you are left with goji juice!! Alternately, you could use a mesh strainer but I’ve found the nut milk/paint straining bags to be much more effective. The directions make it sound a lot more complicated than it is, but believe me, it takes just minutes!

In a juicer, juice your ginger root, turmeric, and lemons. I recommend using Breville brand juicers. I love Breville because they are easy to use, easy to clean, and great quality!

In your large pitcher add the ginger+turmeric+lemon juice, goji juice, and enough water to fill. Then add stevia to taste. Mix well with a wooden spoon and adjust flavors as needed. Let sit for about 10 mins before serving to let the flavors blend. Will last about 5 days in the fridge.

**If you are using powder ingredients only, you’ll want to prepare the herbs as you would loose leaf tea. Boil hot water and add to the powders and let sit until room temp. Then add your lemon, goji juice, and stevia to taste.

You can enjoy your Goji Detox Tea at room temperature or over ice. This tea is sweet, tangy and slightly spicy! It always helps me “get back to normal” after travelling or going off my diet. I tend to get puffy and retain water and this tea helps flush out my lymphatic system and reduce swelling. I absolutely love it and I hope you do too!

If you can’t find fresh turmeric root or ginger root at your local health food store or Asian Market, you can purchase them in powder form through iherb.com – use my discount code WAG472 to get $5 OFF your first order + free shipping on orders of $20 or more!!

Don’t forget to sign up for my FREE Newsletter by entering your name and email address in the upper left hand corner of this page. I’ve got lots of fun stuff, exclusive content, and an exciting offer available to subscribers only!!

I’ve been so inspired by all the delicious fall recipes floating around the internet lately!! I LOVE root veggies and winter squash so I’m getting excited about coming up with more of these great fall inspired recipes! Last night I realized that it was the first time I had used my oven in months!! I was so excited to fill the house with the smell of roasted sweet potatoes. There’s something so nostalgic about the smell of potaoes cooking in the oven on a cool autumn evening.

This delicious salad is loaded with superfoods and hearty enough to satisfy even the biggest appetites! From one of my favorite home reference books on nutrition “Healing With Whole Foods“, here are the health benefits of each of the ingredients of this superfood salad:

Beets: excellent for heart health, circulation, acts as a blood purifier, supports healthy liver function, great for digestion, and hormones! Carrots + Beets are said to be great for menopause!

Sweet Potatoes: natural detoxifier, supports the kidneys, rich in vitamin A, great for breast milk production in lactating women, and great for inflammation.

Kale: great for the stomach and digestion, rich in minerals, eases lung congestion, great source of chlorophyll, calcium, iron, and vitamin A

Quinoa: Rich in protein, strengthening for the whole body, supports kidneys, has more calcium than milk, excellent source of iron, phosphorous, B vitamins, and vitamin E.

Avocado: great for healthy liver function, lungs, intestines, a natural source of lecithin (a brain food), contains easily digested fats, rich in copper which aids in red blood cell formation, great for nursing mothers, wonderful for skin, also used as a remedy for ulcers.

Sweet Peas: support the spleen, pancreas, and stomach, great for digestion, support healthy liver function, also great for spasms, edema, constipation, and boils.

Pine Nuts: lubricate the lungs and intestines, helpful with dizziness, dry cough, and constipation. Good source of vitamin E and essential fatty acids.

With all of these amazing health benefits, this is the perfect time to be eating this salad regularly! It’s your body’s first defense against cold and flu season!

Superfood Salad

You’ll need:

3 sweet potatoes peeled and cubed

3 large beets peeled and cubed

1 head of kale, ripped into tiny pieces

2 large handfuls of baby arugula

1 avocado, diced

1/2 a bag of frozen peas, thawed

2 cups cooked quinoa (I used a mix of white, black, and red quinoa)

2 Tbs pine nuts

2 Tbs pumpkin seeds

olive oil

sea salt and fresh cracked pepper

For the quinoa: In a pot over medium heat, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add quinoa and a dash of sea salt and cook covered until all the moisture is absorbed, about 15mins. Remove from heat and keep covered.

For the roasted beets and sweet potatoes: Place veggies in a ziplock bag and drizzle with a small amount of olive oil. Seal the bag and shake ingredients until veggies are fully coated. Spread evenly onto a baking sheet lined with foil and roast for 35 to 40 minutes. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to flip your veggies about halfway through. Cook until vegetables are cooked through and slightly browned.

Assembly: Layer all your ingredients in a large bowl and toss with fresh cracked pepper and a dash of your favorite vinaigrette dressing (mine is Garlic Expressions available at most grocery stores).

Be prepared to lose your mind at how tasty this salad is. It is really, really, really good and it’s LOADED with SO MUCH amazing nutrition! You may want to double the recipe so you have lots of leftovers like I did; I’ve been eating this for lunch and dinner for the last three days! I just can’t get enough!! For extra detox and immune boosting, serve it with a glass of my magical Ginger Turmeric Detox Tea!

For the quinoa: In a pot over medium heat, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add quinoa and a dash of sea salt and cook covered until all the moisture is absorbed, about 15mins. Remove from heat and keep covered.

For the roasted beets and sweet potatoes: Place veggies in a ziplock bag and drizzle with a small amount of olive oil. Seal the bag and shake ingredients until veggies are fully coated. Spread evenly onto a baking sheet lined with foil and roast for 35 to 40 minutes. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to flip your veggies about halfway through. Cook until vegetables are cooked through and slightly browned.

Assembly: Layer all your ingredients in a large bowl and toss with fresh cracked pepper and a dash of your favorite vinaigrette dressing (mine is Garlic Expressions available at most grocery stores).

Be prepared to lose your mind at how tasty this salad is. It is really, really, really good and it’s LOADED with SO MUCH amazing nutrition! You may want to double the recipe so you have lots of leftovers like I did; I’ve been eating this for lunch and dinner for the last three days! I just can’t get enough!!

Don’t forget to sign up for my FREE Newsletter by entering your name and email address in the upper left hand corner of this page. I’ve got lots of fun stuff, exclusive content, and an exciting offer available to subscribers only!!

As many of you know, I try to stay as close to sugar-free as possible. Sugar for me has always been a trigger for candida, breakouts, weight gain, and mood swings. You can read more about the negative effects of sugar on the mind and body here. Drastically reducing sugar improved my life in such a huge way many years ago. It’s actually quite easy with the help of NuNaturals, my favorite brand of stevia!

I use it in my coffee, dessert recipes, green juices, smoothies, acai bowls, and a couple drops added to LaCroix is an absolutely lovely and healthy sugar free treat! You can see more of my favorite sugar free recipes at the end of this post!

NuNaturals is my secret weapon that I’ve used for the last 6 years. I’ve tried so many different brands and this is one of the most pure and best tasting!! I’m so excited to be GIVING AWAY this wonderful product to 4 lucky readers!!

All four winners will receive the total package plus a FREE BONUS PACKAGE with a retail value of $70.00.

To enter, simply follow the instructions below. One lucky winner will be announced on Monday, November 16th! This contest is open WORLDWIDE, however, NuNaturals does not ship to PO Box addresses. Good Luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveawayDisclaimer: I was given this product for free in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed are sincere and 100% my own.

Don’t forget to sign up for my FREE Newsletter by entering your name and email address in the upper left hand corner of this page. I’ve got lots of fun stuff, exclusive content, and an exciting offer available to subscribers only!!

I’m so excited about today’s giveaway! As many of you know, I’ve taken a little break from blogging this summer and what better way to come back then to be featuring a delicious, healthy snack and offering an absolutely AMAZING GIVEAWAY!!! I think this might be the best giveaway I’ve ever done!!

The kind folks over at SkinnyPop were generous enough to reach out and send me some of their delicious ready-to-eat popcorn to help me prep for the Austin City Limits Music Festival! I have to admit that I’ve never been a huge popcorn fan. I remember all my friends would love to order popcorn at the movies and my mom would made it regularly as a snack, but I was never a huge fan…

I saw SkinnyPop for the first time earlier this year at Costco and after looking at the clean ingredient list: popcorn, sunflower oil, salt, decided to try it. I figured I probably wouldn’t like it, but I actually really enjoyed it! It’s nothing like the artificial stuff I remember growing up. I think what I didn’t like about movie popcorn and microwave popcorn were the weird artificial flavors (remember that bright yellow “butter” sauce?!) and the hard texture. SkinnyPop is genuinely light and fluffy and yummy!

I always tell my clients to pay attention to how they feel after they eat. You should feel good and light and energized by your food and not heavy, tired or weighed down because that’s an indication that your body is having a hard time digesting! My body still feels great after eating SkinnyPop and that’s how I know it’s a good fit for me!

The first weekend of Austin City Limits is this weekend and I always try to get festival-ready by eating clean and getting lots of nutrients because I know that I’m not going to have access to clean, nutritious food at the festival!! The perfect snack for me right now is a green juice (the one pictured is kale, pineapple, cucumber, green apple, spinach, and lemon – so good) and some SkinnyPop popcorn!

During Austin City Limits, SkinnyPop will be offering free pedicab rides around the festival grounds every day from noon – 9PM, so festival-goers can get a lift from one end of the festival to the next (a life saver after all that walking!) and receive a complimentary bag of SkinnyPop!

SkinnyPop is also giving away TWO 3-Day Passes to Weekend 2 of Austin City Limits Music Festival, Oct 9-11th!!!

That’s a $500 value and tickets have already been sold out for quite some time!

To enter, simply follow the instructions below. One lucky winner will be announced on Monday, October 5th! Good Luck!!

Don’t forget to sign up for my FREE Newsletter by entering your name and email address in the upper left hand corner of this page. I’ve got lots of fun stuff, exclusive content, and an exciting offer available to subscribers only!!

One of my favorite ways to clean out the fridge and use up any extra produce is to juice it! You just need fruit, veg, and lemon/lime to make a delicious combo!

This juice isn’t fancy but it’s delicious, nutritious and loaded with antioxidants! It is super refreshing and will give you a nice little burst of energy after drinking it!

Kitchen Scrap Green Juice

You’ll need:

1 cucumber

2 apples

1 pear

kale stems (I save these after making kale salads)

2 broccoli stalks (these are great for juicing, save these too!)

celery tops, including the leafy part

handful parsley

1 lemon (peeled)

1 lime (peeled)

First wash the skin of your fruits and veggies. I always use this wash.

Then simply run all ingredients through a juicer (I recommend Breville). Makes 32oz.

Feel free to throw in or substitute whatever you have. Grapes, baby carrots, strawberries, even green beans! And, if you have backyard chickens like we do, be sure to give them the leftover pulp. They love it!

You can see all of my juice recipes here. If you are interested in getting started with a juice cleanse start here!

Don’t forget to sign up for my FREE Newsletter by entering your name and email address in the upper left hand corner of this page. I’ve got lots of fun stuff, exclusive content, and an exciting offer available to subscribers only!!

HAPPY NATIONAL ICED TEA DAY!! In honor of one of my favorite beverages, I wanted to share this article, originally posted March 2011. This recipe is BURSTING with antioxidants, is sugar-free, and tastes amazing!! Enjoy!!

Nothing says summer in the South like Sweet Tea. The sun is shining, kids are swimming, birds are chirping, and it’s time to play! Here in Austin, the weather is heating up and spring is officially in full force.

With weather in the upper 80’s today, I was in the mood for something clean, cool, & crisp. The answer, Iced Sweet Tea!! But you know me, always health minded, I decided to forgo the heaps of sugar for a healthier, sugar-free version. I got a little creative and gave my tea a twist by using Harney & Sons Chinese Flower (Green Tea with flowers and lemon). Let me tell you, it is AWESOME as an iced tea!!!

I actually don’t care for the taste of the Chinese Flower Blend as a hot tea but it’s a definite keeper as ICED Tea! I love this brand, they have the cutest tea sachets and come in a really lovely tin. An excellent gift idea…hint, hint! 😉

So what’s so great about green tea anyway? Green tea is bursting with antioxidants. Antioxidants help protect your cells from damage caused by unstable molecules known as free radicals. Free radicals are by-products of our normal body functions. They are constantly formed and then destroyed by antioxidants throughout our lifetime.

The problem is, through exposure to things like cigarette smoke, radiation, pesticides, environmental pollution, food additives and even regular household chemicals (like cleaning products, perfumes, paint, out-gassing from carpets, dry cleaning, etc.) free radicals begin to accumulate excessively in the body. Eventually these free radicals will exceed our body’s ability to fight them off. If we don’t have enough antioxidant supply, the extra free radicals will invade the healthy tissues around them and attack healthy cells. As a result, our health will suffer from cancers, cardiovascular diseases, immune deficiencies and other health problems.

So, be a good girl/boy and load up on antioxidants!! The best way is through the diet. Green Tea is a great source as well as all berries (blueberries, cranberries, strawberries, blackberries, cherries etc.), apples (an apple a day keeps the doctor away!), pecans, artichokes, broccoli, & kale just to name a few. Load up with plenty of fruits and vegetables at each meal and you should be covered 🙂

To make this fabulous, antioxidant rich Sweet Tea, simply add 4-5 Chinese Flower Tea sachets to about 2 quarts of boiling water. Let steep for 3 mins. Serve chilled over ice with a squeeze of liquid stevia and garnish with sliced lemon.

I always order my stevia through iherb.com they have the absolute best prices!! I like NuNaturals brand alcohol free liquid stevia, it’s the best tasting. Be sure to use my discount code WAG472 to get $5 off your first order!

I hope you enjoy this healthy Iced Sweet Tea and some warm weather to go with it!

Don’t forget to sign up for my FREE Newsletter by entering your name and email address in the upper left hand corner of this page. I’ve got lots of fun stuff, exclusive content, and an exciting offer available to subscribers only!!

Don’t forget to sign up for my FREE Newsletter by entering your name and email address in the upper left hand corner of this page. I’ve got lots of fun stuff, exclusive content, and an exciting offer available to subscribers only!!

Don’t forget to sign up for my FREE Newsletter by entering your name and email address in the upper left hand corner of this page. I’ve got lots of fun stuff, exclusive content, and an exciting offer available to subscribers only!!